Apple to open iPhone's NFC chip to third-party apps with iOS 18.1

Apple announced that it will open up the iPhone's NFC chip to third-party apps with the release of iOS 18.1, allowing for contactless payments and other NFC functions outside of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.

This feature will be available in countries including Australia, Canada, the U.K., and the U.S.

The move follows Apple's compliance with the European Union's Digital Markets Act, which mandates increased competition. Developers will be able to use the NFC chip for payments, car keys, student IDs, and more, by entering a commercial agreement with Apple. Users will also have the option to set a third-party app as their default contactless app.

Apple has yet to disclose the fee structure for developers.